Common Name: Cardinal Spear

General Information

Erythrina herbacea is very variable in habit according to the environment in which it grows. A small deciduous tree when growing in the warm southerly parts of its range, it becomes shrubby or even herbaceous towards the limits of its cooler northerly range[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local use for food, medicine and beads. It is said to be cultivated for medicinal use in Cuba[].

Known Hazards

All Erythrina species contain greater or lesser amounts of toxic alkaloids - these can be found in all parts of the plant but are usually most concentrated in the seeds. Concentrations vary from species to species, in some it is low enough that the plant is safely used as a food. In many, the alkaloids are utilized for their medicinal effects. We have no specific information on the concentration of the alkaloids in this species, but care should be exercised in any use of the plant that involves ingestion. These alkaloids have a curare-like action (obtained from Strychnos species) and can cause paralysis and even death by respiratory failure[, ].

Botanical References

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Range

South-eastern N. America - North Carolina to Texas

Habitat

Sandy soils in hummocks, the coastal plain and pinelands[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Birds, Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Erythrina herbacea is not very cold hardy, being able to tolerate occasional, short-lived temperatures down to about -10°c provided the stem bases are thickly mulched with organic matter such as leaf litter or sawdust and covered with bracken[]. Top growth will be killed by the cold, but the plant should resprout again from the base in spring and flower in late summer[]. Alternatively, the roots can be lifted in the autumn and stored in a cool frost-free place, replanting in the spring.
Requires a moderately fertile well-drained soil in a very sunny position[]. Best if grown in a sunny position with the protection of a wall behind it[].
Plants take 3 - 4 years to flower from seed[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Flowers - cooked. An acceptable vegetable when boiled[]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Young leaves - occasionally cooked and eaten[].

Medicinal

The plant is narcotic and purgative[].

The root is diaphoretic[], and is used to lower fevers[]. A cold infusion of the root has been used to treat bowel pain in women[].
A decoction of the roots or berries has been used to treat nausea, constipation and blocked urination[].

A decoction of the 'beans' or inner bark has been used as a body rub and steam for numb, painful limbs and joints[].

A decoction of the leaves has been used as a general tonic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Most Erythrina species are very easy to grow from cuttings, with even quite large branches striking well. In addition, they generally fix atmospheric nitrogen, have nutrient-rich leaves that make an excellent soil-enriching mulch, often have open crowns that do not overly restrict light, and are also often quite thorny and can provide impenetrable barriers to protect from unwelcome intrusions. Many species are therefore used as living fences to provide boundaries and livestock-proof hedges[, ].

Other Uses

The brilliant red seeds are used as beads[].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[]. Overwinter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer.
Heeled cuttings of young growth in the spring in a frame[]. Overwinter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer.